Oral History Interview with Paul Takehara

Nisei male, born April 4, 1918 in Sacramento, California to a farm family. Paul volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army in March 1941 and was assigned to the 34th Infantry Division, the sole Nisei GI. He had no discrimination issues within his unit but felt he was denied entry by the Department of the Army to approve Candidate School due to his race. He visited his parents in Poston, Arizona and two brothers in Tule Lake, California, who were considered draft resisters as a result of a loyalty questionnaire. Paul describes attitudes and behavior of white soldiers toward black GIs in the northern and southern states. Paul saw increasing number of Nisei being reassigned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team as it was formed. He describes how Nisei in personnel and payroll paid retribution to those GIs who denigrated Nisei soldiers. He also describes other duties until his discharge in 1945. He helped his parents resettle in Florin and entered a series of businesses, including becoming an insurance agent in 1959.